Afghanistan

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his suggested alternatives are for income generation for poppy growers in  (a) Helmand province and  (b) other Afghan provinces.

Hilary Benn: After decades of conflict, the lack of investment in basic infrastructure, poor governance and drought, much of Afghanistan's productivity has been lost or re-directed towards poppy cultivation and drug trafficking. As 70 per cent. of the population are rural, agriculture provides the best opportunity for alternative income generation.
	Helmand province was once one of the most agriculturally advanced and productive areas in Afghanistan. It might have the potential to be so again. For examples, the DFID-funded Research into Alternative Livelihoods Programme (RALF) is looking at the export potential of grapes, tomatoes, mushrooms egg plants and okra in Helmand and has made contacts with raisin importers, organic and fair trade. The programme is also evaluating at least 10 different small scale agri-processing industries such as tomato paste production.
	Growth in small and medium enterprises and construction has the potential to bring new employment opportunities in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan. DFID supports the Micro Finance Investment Support Facility Programme, which provides much needed credit for investment in agriculture, manufacturing, retail and service industries. To date, the programme has brought financial services for some 161,000 people in around half of the provinces of Afghanistan.
	The development of Afghanistan's natural resources could also provide alternative jobs. Afghanistan possesses energy and mineral resources, many of which are underdeveloped, such as coal, gas, oil, precious metals and semi-precious stones. DFID is funding the British Geological Survey to strengthen the Afghan Geological Survey to develop and promote the mining sector.

Angola

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support is  (a) provided and  (b) planned for (i) land mine clearance and (ii) transport infrastructure developments in Angola.

Hilary Benn: DFID has provided over £1.1 million for land mine clearance work in Angola since 2003. A further £400,000 will be spent this year to support land mine clearance activities in the country.
	DFID is currently funding the work of two mine action NGOs operating in Angola—the Halo Trust and the Mine Awareness Group. Most of this work is taking place in areas where humanitarian operations are ongoing in order to allow UN Agencies like the World Food Programme to access populations in need, and to do so safely.
	DFID's aid programme in Angola is focused on providing support to meet urgent humanitarian needs. Funding for transport infrastructure has been made in the context of support provided for humanitarian programming. DFID provided £1.15 million to the WFP last year to support the construction of bridges to enable quicker humanitarian access to populations in need. This support has also reduced costs because aid can now travel by road instead of only by means of air transport.
	Support for infrastructure development in southern Africa has been identified as a priority area in DFID's Southern Africa regional plan. Angola will benefit from this work, which is currently at the design stage.

Darfur

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library a copy of the joint UN-African Union Technical Assessment Mission Report on Darfur.

Hilary Benn: The United Nations-African Union Technical Assessment Mission recently returned from Darfur. Their report has yet to be released, though it is expected before the end of July. We expect that it will make recommendations on how the UN can support the African Union, and ultimately take over in Darfur.
	We do not know yet what form the report will take. It may be an oral briefing, a letter from Kofi Annan or a formal written report.
	Assuming any written report is made public, I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Law Officers Departmental Report

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General how many copies of the Law Officers' Departmental Report 2006, were produced; at what cost; to whom copies were sent; at what cost; who was consulted prior to publication; how members of the public can obtain copies; at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Stationery Office produced 780 copies of Cm 6821, "Law Officers' Departments Report 2006". Of the 780, the Law Officers' Departments received 320 copies at a cost of £4,248. The 320 were allocated as follows:
	
		
			   Number of copies allocated 
			 Attorney-General's Office 20 
			 Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) 180 
			 HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate 20 
			 Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office 50 
			 Serious Fraud Office 25 
			 Treasury Solicitor's Office 25 
		
	
	Copies of the report are circulated within Departments, including the 42 CPS geographical areas, and to criminal justice system partners. No central records are kept of individual recipients or cost of distribution.
	The report is prepared within all the Law Officers' Departments. Treasury and other CJS Departments are consulted during preparation.
	A hard copy of the report can be obtained through the Stationery Office priced £14.75. It is also available on the Law Officers' Departments websites.

A303

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the economic effects on the south west region of the implementation of the published scheme for improvements to the A303 at Stonehenge in the first year after construction.

Stephen Ladyman: Our estimate of the economic benefits of this scheme does not distinguish between the economic benefits to the south west and to other regions.

Automatic Identification System

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to tackle the vulnerability of automatic identification systems to pirates.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has already advised Masters of UK and Red Ensign Group registered shipping that they may temporarily cease broadcasting automatic identification system signals when in open waters, if they judge that the security of the vessel is being compromised by them. More detailed advice to Masters on this issue is contained in the Department's counter piracy note issued to mariners, published in November 2005, as Marine Guidance Note 298.
	The Department has also reached an agreement with an internet provider of AIS information to introduce a package of risk mitigation measures including a time delay and a reduction in the quantity of information accessible from the site.

Congestion (Liverpool)

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to relieve congestion in the Hall Lane Strategic Gateway; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The local highway authority, Liverpool city council, is responsible for tackling congestion and the delivery of improvements in the Hall Lane Strategic Gateway.
	We provisionally approved the Hall Lane Improvement Scheme for funding through the Local Transport Plan programme in 2000 and the Edge Lane West scheme in 2004. It is for the city council to obtain the necessary statutory powers for the implementation of these schemes before seeking final funding approval from the Department.

Detrunking

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 6 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1267W, on detrunking, what additional funds have been provided to each local authority in the 2006-07 financial year to meet the cost of maintaining the detrunked roads; what proportion of that authority's total allocated funds for its local transport plan the additional amount represents; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The data required to make the calculation can be found on the Department's website.
	The breakdown of routine maintenance funding for 2006-07 for each local authority in England with a detrunked road can be found in the Maintenance of Roads Grant Determination 2006. The grant information is available on the Department's website at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft_roads_611492.hcsp
	The additional capital maintenance funding provided to each of these local authorities for their detrunked roads can be found in the Local Transport Plan settlement decision letters, issued in December 2005. The letters also contain details of each authority's Local Transport Capital Settlement for financial year 2006-07. These letters are also available on the Department's website at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/qroups/dft_localtrans/documents/divisionhomepage/610730.hcsp.

First Great Western (Fare Increases)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he was first informed of First Great Western's plans for increases in peak-time travel prices.

Derek Twigg: The Department was first informed of First Great Western's intended fares strategy in their franchise bid received in September 2005. First Great Western have already implemented a new range of fares which offer significantly lower prices than anything previously available for both first and standard class travel for passengers who book ahead. In addition, since the commencement of the franchise in April, First Great Western have obtained Secure Station Accreditation status at a further five stations as part of a continuing programme and have also signed two major contracts worth nearly £150 million which will significantly improve the interiors and technical reliability of the High Speed Train Fleet over the next 18 months.

Foreign Vehicle (Road Traffic Offences)

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action his Department is taking to ensure that owners of foreign vehicles guilty of traffic offences in the UK pay their fines.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government are aware that it can be too easy for non-UK resident drivers to avoid paying fines when found guilty of traffic offences. We are determined to address this and enabling provisions for a new system of graduated fixed penalties are contained in the Road Safety Bill currently before Parliament. These provisions will also allow enforcement agencies to take an immediate cash deposit, equal to a fixed penalty notice or court imposed fine, from foreign drivers who commit offences, bringing us into line with our continental neighbours.
	The graduated fixed penalties and deposit scheme, could be in place during next year and should improve compliance through increased deterrence as well as providing for more effective enforcement.

Freight Containers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1268W, on freight containers, what proportion of the containers in use on the UK's roads will be affected by these changes.

Stephen Ladyman: Directive 96/53/EC effectively prohibits the carriage of conventional 45 foot long ISO deep sea containers. In 2004 there were an estimated 142,000 of these containers in circulation worldwide—around 1.4 per cent. of the deep sea container market—but we have no data on the numbers that may be in use on UK roads.
	As the directive includes a 10-year derogation until 31 December 2006 which permits the carriage of such containers on oversize vehicles in service before implementation, there are expected to be few in number, and that those containers still in circulation can be used elsewhere other than on the EU road network.

Government Car Fleet

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what safety considerations are taken into account when choosing Government vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department for Transport is a member of the European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP). Performance against the EuroNCAP tests is one of the criteria the Government Car and Despatch Agency uses when choosing suitable official cars.

Heysham M6 Link

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Heysham M6 Link has received funding approval.

Stephen Ladyman: We are currently considering Lancashire county council's business case for the inclusion of the Heysham to M6 Link road in the Department's programme of major schemes. A decision on programme entry for this scheme and funding from the Department will only be taken once we have resolved a number of appraisal issues. Should the scheme be approved for programme entry, our response of 6 July to the North West region on Regional Funding Allocations confirms that we would expect to provide funding for this scheme during the period 2009-10 to 2015-16 but only subject to it securing all necessary statutory approvals.

High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is his policy to prevent coaches from using high occupancy vehicle lanes.

Stephen Ladyman: The issue of whether to allow coaches to use high occupancy (HOV) lanes is still being considered. Coaches are clearly high occupancy vehicles but they are speed restricted which could therefore impede the flow of traffic in the HOV lane. A key consideration is whether the proposed HOV lane is on the outside of the motorway (as proposed for M1 junction 7 to 10) or the inside of the motorway (as proposed for M62/M606).
	A final decision will only be made once we have finalised the exact details of each scheme and we have satisfied ourselves that the lanes will operate safely.

Rail Services

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason and upon whose authority King's Cross station was closed for several days recently following a fire on a nearby building site; what provisions are in place to ensure that major transport routes into London are not prematurely or unnecessarily closed; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: These are operational matters for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his question:
	Mr. John Armitt
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London NW1 2EE

Rail Services

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice he has given to Transport for London in respect of the operation of services on the East London Line after the proposed extension has been completed.

Derek Twigg: The operation of services on the East London Line is a matter for Transport for London.

Roads

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which road repair project being carried out by the Highways Agency has been allocated the most funding.

Stephen Ladyman: The M25 Holmesdale Tunnel Refurbishment project has a total forecasted cost of £70 million. It comprises repairs to the existing road, the tunnel structure and associated mechanical and electrical equipment.

Roadside Checks

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roadside checks have been carried out on defective brakes during each of the past 24 months; what the nature is of such tests; and what conclusions he has drawn from the results.

Stephen Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is responsible for roadside enforcement. Greater detail on the results of their work is published in their Effectiveness Report which is available on-line at www.vosa.gov.uk.
	The following table is based on financial year and amalgamates roadside checks and fleet checks. The data cannot be broken down further without disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			 Prohibitions issued in relation to brakes 24,955 25,357 
			 Percentage of vehicle encounters that resulted in such prohibitions 14.4 13.9 
		
	
	Although visual inspection will identify the majority of potential defects, VOSA staff can also utilise temperature checks and roller brake tester equipment.
	Brake defects are in the top 10 fail items for heavy goods vehicles, trailers and passenger service vehicles at roadside and fleet checks and annual test. Defects in braking systems are a concern.

Transport Direct

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the value for money of the Transport Direct portal.

Stephen Ladyman: The original Business Case for Transport Direct recorded three key value for money measures:
	Achieve one million user sessions in the first year of service.
	Achieve 10 million user sessions by the end of 2006.
	10 per cent. of users reassess their travel habits as a result of the information provided by Transport Direct.
	Of these measures:
	The one millionth user session was achieved ten months after soft-launch of the service (soft-launched in July 2004, achieved in May 2005)
	We are on course to achieve our ten millionth user session by the end of 2006.
	Early results of user surveys have indicated that 64 per cent. of those who completed our surveys were considering a change of travel mode preference.

Transport Direct

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many visitor hits Transport Direct has received; and what its advertising expenditure has been since it became operational.

Stephen Ladyman: Transport Direct usage is recorded in "user sessions". A user session is defined as:
	"One continuous dialogue with the Transport Direct Portal through one browser window"."
	By the end of June 2006 Transport Direct had recorded 6,055,702 user sessions. The current rate is around 150,000 user sessions per week, viewing an average of seven to eight pages each.
	Advertising costs across the Financial Years 2004-05 to 2005-06 were £1,063,000.

Transport Direct

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why the default setting for the cost of car travel on the Transport Direct portal is for fuel costs.

Stephen Ladyman: The portal provides the user with two choices for assessing the costs of car travel. One is 'fuel costs'; including exceptional costs such as tolls, ferry charges and congestion charges, and the other is 'total running costs' which take into account the cost of owning a car.
	Transport Direct's purpose is to give users an impartial series of travel options and to enable them to select choices that meet their needs. Market research strongly indicates that motorists are overwhelmingly interested in seeing information about the 'point of use' of costs of their car. Therefore the default is to display the fuel costs and other direct costs. Showing full costs as the default would result in this functionality not being used by the majority of motorists, thus negating any potential effect on their travel choice.
	Users do have the option to select an estimate of the total running costs. This is based on advice and information provided by the major motoring organisations and provides a figure which reflects the total cost of motoring, on a per mile basis. If the user chooses this option, then fuel costs, the exceptional costs and the total ownership costs are displayed.

Transport Direct

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much it cost to construct www.transportdirect.info; and how much it has cost to operate per month on average.

Stephen Ladyman: The information is as follows:
	 Construction of www.transportdirect.info.
	Overall Capital spend on the Transport Direct portal Design, Build and Operate (DBO) contract has been as follows:
	
		
			  Period  £ million 
			 2002-03 1.3 
			 2003-04 9.3 
			 2004-05 9.6 
			 2005-06 7.3 
			 2006-07 0.4 
			 Total to end March 2006 27.9 
		
	
	These figures represent the sums paid to Atos Origin (the DBO contractor) for all aspects of the DBO contract excluding non-Capital elements.
	The DBO contract has been just one part of the overall Transport Direct Programme. Whilst the Portal DBO contract cost more than we originally estimated, the overall Programme budget under spent.
	Operational costs are in the region of £225,000-£250,000 per calendar month, while data supply costs are in the region of £100,000 per month.

Vehicle Excise Duty Licences

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle excise duty licences were paid in each band, including goods vehicles, for the most recently available year; and how many licences in each band were paid for by  (a) private individuals and  (b) incorporated businesses.

Stephen Ladyman: DVLA estimates the number of vehicle licences issued within each band for the "Private and Light Goods" tax class, as the following table:
	
		
			  Estimate of licences issued for Private and Light Goods vehicles, 2004-05 
			  Class  Licences issued 
			 Band A 543 
			 Band B 392,320 
			 Band C 4,710,235 
			 Band D 3,907,106 
			 Band E 3,039,718 
			 Band F 2,945,879 
			 Band G 1,618,549 
			 Cars registered before 1 March 2001 22,388,865 
			 Total 39,003,215 
		
	
	Additionally, 554,153 licences were issued for Heavy Goods Vehicles in 2004-05. No statistical information is available to indicate how many licences in each band were paid for by  (a) private individuals and  (b) incorporated businesses.
	[Continued in Col. 277W]
	[Continued from Col. 276W]

Carbon Emissions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent estimate he has made of the carbon emissions of his Department; what commitment he has made to reducing such emissions; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office subscribes to the energy efficiency policies adopted by the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on 10 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1615W.

Departmental Travel

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to ensure that all flights undertaken by Ministers and officials in his Department are carbon neutral; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office subscribes to the principles of environmental performance adopted by the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on 6 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1344W.

Environmental Management

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department  (a) is committed to the achievement of environmental management to ISO 14001 standard and  (b) has been externally certified as in compliance with that standard; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office subscribes to the environmental management principles adopted by the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on 13 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1992W

Work and Pensions Select Committee

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action has been taken by his Department to implement Work and Pensions Select Committee recommendations since the 2001-02 session; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Government have responded to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee's recommendations in the period in question in the following published memoranda:
	 Session 2001-02
	The Drinks Industry in Scotland: Response by the Government and the Scottish Executive (HC 696), published on 18 March 2002.
	Customs Services in Scotland: Response by the Government (HC 1287), published on 5 November 2002
	 Session 2002-03
	Employment in Shipbuilding on the Clyde: Response by the Government (HC 199), published on 19 December 2002
	Homeworkers in Scotland and the Minimum Wage: Response by the Government (HC 816), published on 19 June 2003
	 Session 2003-04
	The Coincidence of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in Scotland and the Consequences of Change: Response by the Government (HC514), published on 7 April 2004
	The Proposed Whisky Strip Stamp: Response by the Government (HC 822), published on 5 July 2004
	 Session 2005-06
	Meeting Scotland's Future Energy Needs: Government Response (HC 579), published on 24 October 2005
	Each memorandum stated whether the Government accepted the recommendations in the relevant report.

Statutory Instruments

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what occasions a statutory instrument sponsored by his Department has been reported by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments as defective since October 2005.

Peter Hain: Two statutory instruments sponsored by my Department since October 2005 have been reported by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments as defective. Details are as follows:
	(a) The Prison and Young Offenders Centre (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2005 (S.R. 2005/153). See the Fourth Report of the Joint Committee of Statutory Instruments for session 2005-06, published on 19 October 2005; and
	(b) The Pollution Prevention and Control (Amendment) and Connected Provisions (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 (S.R. 2005 No. 285). See Sixth Report of the JCSI for 2005-06, published on 26 October 2005.

Administrative Savings

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what administrative savings have been made by his Department in each of the last eight years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department's annual reports contain information on departmental management and public service delivery, including on measures taken to improve efficiency and value for money.
	For the years 1997-98 and 1998-99, value for money and efficiency savings were not reported separately in the Department's annual reports but were contained within the chapters on the management of the Department.
	During the period covered by the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review (1999-2002), the Department had a strategic efficiency target to achieve savings of 2.5 per cent. of its running costs each year. In 1999-2000 DTI achieved a saving of 2.6 per cent. of running costs (£10.6 million on projected costs of £406.6 million); and in 2000-01 a saving of 4.6 per cent. (£19.3 million on projected costs of £418.8 million).
	The CSR98 efficiency target was replaced for the 2000 Spending Review period (2001-04) by a Public Service Agreement Target to "achieve value for money improvements of 2.5 per cent. a year across the Department", which was carried over into the 2002 Spending Review (2003-06). In 2001-02 value for money improvements under this target amounted to 3.79 per cent. (£16 million on projected costs of £422.3 million); and in 2002-03 amounted to 4.5 per cent. (£20.2 million on projected costs of £449.9 million).
	Value for money improvements related to administration under the SR2002 PSA12 value for the money target amounted to £35.4 million in 2003-04 and £351.7 million in 2004-05. The Department's performance for 2005-06 against this PSA target will be covered in the 2006 departmental report, which is due to be published in spring 2006.
	In the 2004 Spending Review the Department committed to achieve annual efficiencies of at least £380 million by 2007-08. The 2005 Autumn Performance Report, published last December, provides the most recent assessment of the Department's performance against this target £27.97 million efficiency gains related to administration spend were achieved by the end of Quarter 2.

Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in his Department have been enabled to work from home in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: All members of staff with an appropriate job are allowed to work from home subject to their line manager's approval. Laptop's have been provided to staff that allow access to the Departments IT Systems. Many of these were configured to allow staff to share them.
	 2003-04
	1,400 Laptops were in use for secure remote access. The shared facility enabled up to 2,200 staff to use these machines if approved to do so.
	 2004-05
	1,550 Laptops were in use for secure remote access. The shared facility enabled 2,550 staff to use these machines if approved to do so.
	 2005-06
	1,550 Laptops were in use at the start of the year but this reduced to 1,200 by end-March 2006, as a consequence of the efficiency programme and reduction in staff numbers. A corresponding reduction in shared usage was applicable.

Renewable Energy

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made when benchmarking UK performance of the proportion of  (a) energy and  (b) electricity in other EU countries which is supplied from renewable sources.

Malcolm Wicks: According to data published by Eurostat in 2004 the United Kingdom ranked 17(th) of the 25 member states of the EU in terms of the share of electricity from renewable energy to gross electricity consumption. In 1995 the UK ranked 19(th) and if all countries meet their 2010 targets the UK will move up to 15(th). It should be noted that the countries that rank highest (Austria, Latvia and Sweden) have significant and well developed hydro resources and plentiful supplies of biomass (mainly wood).
	The International Energy Agency (IEA) produces statistics that exclude hydro generation from the renewables share of electricity production, but this is available for only 19 of the 25 EU member states that are also IEA members. On this basis the UK ranked 13(th) out of 19 in the latest available year (2003) with Denmark the highest ranking because of its well-developed wind power sector.
	The IEA also produces statistics on the contribution of renewable sources to total primary energy supply for the 19 EU member states. Here the UK ranked 17(th) out of 19 in 2003.
	In the spring 2006 edition of the "Ernst and Young Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices", which provide scores for national renewable energy markets, support mechanisms, renewable energy infrastructures and their suitability for individual technologies, placed the UK fifth most attractive in the world (third in Europe) of all countries http://www.ey.com/global/content.nsif/International/ECU_Library
	The UK has a target that by 2010, 10 per cent. of all UK electricity produced will come from renewable sources. It was recently announced in the Energy Review (2006) that, in order to further boost investors' confidence, the Renewables Obligation would be extended to 20 per cent.

Russia

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how much gas his Department estimates the UK will import from Russia in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2010 and  (c) 2020, (i) as a percentage of total consumption and (ii) in cubic metres; and what percentage of that gas his Department estimates will be (A) produced by Gazprom and (B) transported through Gazprom's pipeline network;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the impact on the security of gas supply to the UK of the law passed by the Russian State Duma on Gazprom's control of gas exports from Russia;
	(3)  what his assessment is of the impact on UK businesses of the proposed amendments to Russia's Subsoil Law on foreign participation in Russian oil and gas projects;
	(4)  what his assessment is of the impact on security of energy supplies to the UK of the Russian Federation's  (a) level of compliance with the provisions of the Energy Charter Treaty and  (b) policy on the Transit Protocol to the Energy Charter Treaty;
	(5)  what assessment his Department has made of the impact on UK investments in Russia of the Russian Federation's level of compliance with the Energy Charter Treaty;
	(6)  what plans he has to make representations to his Russian counterpart about the proposed amendments to Russia's subsoil Law on foreign participation in Russian oil and gas projects.

Malcolm Wicks: The UK's gas import dependence is set to rise to 80-90 per cent. by 2020, of which a significant proportion is expected to be imported from the European mainland through existing and planned interconnection capacity. The International Energy Agency forecast that the EU will import 25 per cent. of its gas needs from Russia by 2030. It is, therefore, possible that some Russian gas will be imported into the UK, albeit indirectly and commingled with gas from other sources (such as Norway, the Netherlands and LNG from outside Europe) as part of the European gas system.
	The contractual origin of imports into the UK is a decision for companies operating in the UK's liberalised gas market, taking into account elements such as cost, reliability, availability and the need for a diverse range of sources to provide security of supply. Given that there is no direct physical interconnection capacity with Russia and contractual flows do not necessarily follow physical flows, estimates of the type requested are not made.
	Given that the UK does not import directly from Russia, any impact on the UK from Russia's legislation or compliance with international agreements such as the Energy Charter Treaty will be felt most directly through its effect on European markets. As such, the UK will continue to press for open, competitive and liberalised European energy markets.
	In the short term, we expect the Russian gas export laws to have very little real effect on European security of supply, as Gazprom's already holds a defacto monopoly on exports by virtue of their network ownership. Longer-term effects are unclear, however, should gas transit through Russia become too commercially unattractive, Caspian and Central Asian producers will begin to seek alternative supply routes for their products to European and global markets.
	The proposed legislative changes surrounding Russia's subsoil law continue to be subject to discussion in the Russian government. The DTI and FCO are in contact with UK businesses involved in the Russian Energy market, in order to remain updated on the impact that any final series of laws may have.
	The UK, with other EU member states, will continue to encourage Russia to liberalise its domestic markets and provide fair and open access to its resources and pipelines in order to foster further competition in energy supplies into Europe and to ensure best use is made of its finite resources.
	The UK, with other G7 members, has encouraged Russia to move forward during its G8 presidency and ratify the Energy Charter Treaty, of which it is already a signatory and applies on a provisional basis. We would envisage that these Global Energy Security discussions will continue during the Russian presidency of the G8.
	Russia has called for the negotiations on the Transit Protocol to be completed before it can ratify the full Treaty. Through the EU, we continue to work with Russia towards an agreed text for the Transit Protocol while at the same time emphasising to Russia the importance of open, transparent, efficient and competitive markets at all stages of the energy supply chain as the key to global energy security..
	Whilst the absence of ratification may bring some uncertainty to the rights of both foreign and domestic investors, it is important to note that the UK has a separate bi- lateral investment Treaty with Russia that protects the investment of UK firms.

Small Change Big Difference

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department and its agencies have taken following the launch of the Government's Small Change Big Difference Campaign.

Jim Fitzpatrick: None specifically. The Department already promotes healthier lifestyles by providing its employees with gym facilities; access to healthier eating choices and fresh fruit are always available in the staff canteen.

Autism

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance is given to local authorities to assist them in developing best practice on the disabled children's module of the National Service Framework 2004 when identifying autistic spectrum disorder; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Standard 8 of the National Service Framework (NSF) for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, targeted at local authorities and others, is for disabled children and young people and those with complex health needs. It sets a standard. Children and young people receive co-ordinated, high-quality child and family-centred services that are based on assessed needs, promote social inclusion and, where possible, enable them and their families to live ordinary lives.
	The NSF has been supported by a number of exemplars, including one on autism. This sets out an optimal pathway for a boy with autism, beginning at the age of three, from initial concern and contact with primary care, through a developmental and a multi-agency assessment, the drawing up of a family support plan and early educational intervention and on to the transitions between primary and secondary school and secondary school and adult life.
	Local authorities have a duty under the Education Act 1996, where necessary, to identify, assess and make suitable provision for children with special educational needs (SEN), including those with autistic spectrum disorders. When doing so, local authorities have to have regard to the SEN Code of Practice. "Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Good Practice Guidance" (2002, Department of Education and Skills and Department of Health) is also available for local authorities. It includes pointers to good practice on identification.

Disability Awareness

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what provision is made within the school curriculum for awareness of physical, medical and mental disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There are many opportunities in the school curriculum for raising awareness of physical, medical and mental disabilities. Through the non-statutory Personal, Social, Health Education framework and statutory National Curriculum Citizenship Education, pupils are taught that differences and similarities between people arise from a number of factors, including disability, and about the need for mutual respect and understanding. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on spiritual, moral, social, and cultural issues, using imagination to understand other people's experiences. They are taught about the causes, symptoms and treatments for stress and depression, and to identify strategies for prevention and management and how to seek professional advice confidently and find information about health. National Curriculum Science also examines how human health is affected by a range of environmental and inherited factors.

Student Funding

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average amount of funding per student is in comprehensive secondary schools of  (a) fewer than 100,  (b) 100-199,  (c) 200-299,  (d) 300-399,  (e) 400-499,  (f) 500-599,  (g) 600-700 and  (h) over 700 students in  (i) rural areas and (ii) non-rural areas in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The available information is contained within the following table:
	
		
			  Comprehensive secondary budgeted expenditure( 1)  per pupil( 2)  in urban and rural schools( 3)  by school size in England during the 2006-07 financial year. 
			  Size of school ( 3) Urban schools ( 3) Rural schools 
			 (a) less than 100 pupils 4,790  
			 (b) 100 up to, but not including, 200 4,700 6,340 
			 (c) 200 up to, but not including, 300 5,580 5,830 
			 (d) 300 up to, but not including, 400 5,150 4,320 
			 (e) 400 up to, but not including, 500 4,990 4,220 
			 (f) 500 up to, but not including, 600 4,790 3,990 
			 (g) 600 up to, but not including, 700 4,590 3,810 
			 (h) 700 and above 4,120 3,830 
			 All school sizes 4,170 3,850 
			 (1) Budgeted expenditure includes total budget share plus Schools Standards Grant, School Development Grant, Other Standards Fund Allocation, Devolved School Means grant, Threshold and performance pay and Support for schools in financial difficulty. This excludes the central cost of support services such as home to school transport, local authority administration and the financing of capital expenditure. This is drawn from the 2006-07 Section 52 Budget Statement (Table 2). Schools that are proposed to close according to Edubase (the DfES database of educational establishments) in the 2006-07 financial year have been excluded.(2) Pupil numbers are taken from Table 2 of Section 52 Budget, FTE Pupils (including LSC pupils).(3) The urban/rural classification is drawn from the Edubase.(4) No schools. Notes:1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 13 July 2006.2. Data remains provisional and is subject to change by local authorities.

Teachers

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the availability of trained specialist school teachers in  (a) English,  (b) mathematics,  (c) science,  (d) modern languages and  (e) information and communication technology in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The following tables provide the information available on the recruitment, training and teachers in service by subject specialism. This information is not available for rural areas only.
	Table 1 provides the number of students recruited to initial teacher training courses by phase and subject for academic years 2001/02 to 2005/06.
	
		
			  Table 1: Recruitment to initial teacher training courses( 1, 2) —Academic years 2000/01 to 2005/06 by phase and subject specialism, England 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  Percentage increase 2004/05 to 2005/06 
			Actual  Places  % difference +/-  
			  Primary and secondary  
			 Undergraduate 8,100 7,830 7,790 7,850 8,250 8,170 — — -1 
			 Postgraduate 19,620 21,260 23,370 25,780 25,860 25,250 — — -2 
			 Of which:  
			 School centred/ other non-HEI 1,060 1,190 1,420 1,540 1,720 1,740 — — 1 
			 Total 27,720 29,090 31,160 33,630 34,110 33,410 34,300 -3 -2 
			 Fast Track(3) n/a 110 120 300 400 420 — — — 
			 Grand total 27,720 29,190 31,280 33,930 34,520 33,830 — — — 
			   
			  Primary  
			 Undergraduate 6,580 6,390 6,490 6,600 7,030 6,960 — — -1 
			 Postgraduate 6,590 6,720 8,000 8,980 9,420 9,060 — — -4 
			 Of which:  
			 School centred/ other non-HEI 510 590 740 810 890 910 — — 2 
			 Total 13,170 13,110 14,490 15,580 16,450 16,020 15,800 1 -3 
			 Fast Track(3) n/a 30 30 60 90 90 — — — 
			 Grand total 13,170 13,140 14,520 15,640 16,540 16,110 — — — 
			   
			  Secondary  
			 Undergraduate 1,520 1,440 1,300 1,260 1,220 1,210 — — -1 
			 Postgraduate 13,020 14,530 15,370 16,790 16,440 16,190 — — -2 
			 Of which:  
			 School centred/ other non-HEI 550 600 680 730 830 840 — — 0 
			 Total 14,540 15,980 16,670 18,050 17,670 17,390 18,500 -6 -2 
			 Fast Track(3) n/a 80 90 240 310 320 — — — 
			 Grand total 14,540 16,060 16,760 18,290 17,980 17,720 — — — 
			   
			  Secondary by subject  
			 Mathematics 1,290 1,550 1,670 1,940 2,030 2,010 2,350 -14 -1 
			 English (inc. drama) 2,030 2,220 2,480 2,420 2,380 2,110 2,200 -4 -11 
			 Science 2,410 2,590 2,700 2,870 2,830 2,930 3,225 -9 4 
			 Modern foreign languages 1,640 1,710 1,730 1,820 1,620 1,560 1,900 -18 -4 
			 Technology(4) 1,860 2,160 2,400 2,670 2,610 2,570 2,890 -11 -2 
			 History 910 920 990 1,000 910 850 810 5 -7 
			 Geography 900 1,030 950 990 900 820 925 -12 -10 
			 Physical education 1,210 1,330 1,330 1,590 1,530 1,530 1,450 6 0 
			 Art 850 840 890 930 860 780 800 -3 -10 
			 Music 560 650 600 620 600 650 690 -5 8 
			 Religious education 570 590 580 590 630 670 730 -8 7 
			 Citizenship(5) 0 150 190 220 240 230 240 -5 -3 
			 Other(6) 320 230 170 230 250 360 290 26 46 
			   
			 Vocational subjects(7) n/a n/a n/a 160 280 330 — — 18 
			   
			 Total 14,540 15,980 16,670 18,050 17,670 17,390 18,500 -6 -2 
			 Fast Track(3) n/a 80 90 240 310 320 — — — 
			 Grand total 14,540 16,060 16,760 18,290 17,980 17,720 — — — 
			 n/a = not available.(1) Recruitment figures for 2005/06 are provisional and are subject to change.  (2) Includes Universities and other HE institutions, SCITT and OU, but excludes employment based routes. Recruitment numbers shown are rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages have been calculated on the actual figure, rather than the rounded.  (3) 2001/02 was the first year of Fast Track recruitment.  (4) Technology includes design and technology, information and communications technology, business studies and home economics.  (5)2001 /02 was the first year of recruitment for citizenship.  (6) Other includes classics, dance, economics, media, performing arts and social studies.  (7) Vocational subjects includes applied ICT, applied science, applied business, engineering, manufacturing, and health and social care. 2003/04 was the first year of recruitment for these subjects.   Source:  TDA's ITT Trainee Numbers Census 2000/01 - 2005/06 Available places—DfES. 
		
	
	Table 2 provides the number of teachers gaining qualified teachers status by qualification and phase of training in academic years 2001/02 to 2003/04.
	
		
			  Table 2: Teachers gaining qualified teacher status( 1)  in academic years 2001/02 to 2003/04—Qualification by phase of training, England 
			   2001/02  2002/03  2003/04 
			   UG  PG  Total  UG  PG  Total  UG  PG  Total 
			  Primary and secondary 6,340 16,940 23,280 6,250 19,180 25,430 5,880 21,460 27,340 
			   
			  Primary 5,110 5,610 10,720 5,140 6,800 11,930 4,890 7,580 12,470 
			   
			  Secondary 1,220 11,330 12,550 1,110 12,380 13,490 990 13,880 14,870 
			 Of which:  
			 Mathematics 120 970 1,090 120 1,140 1,270 100 1,420 1,520 
			 English (inc. drama) 70 1,730 1,800 70 2,000 2,070 60 2,110 2,170 
			 Science 120 1,910 2,030 120 2,030 2,140 90 2,230 2,310 
			 Modern foreign languages 20 1,330 1,340 10 1,340 1,350 10 1,440 1,450 
			 Technology(2) 270 1,270 1,540 260 1,600 1,850 240 1,810 2,060 
			 History — 790 790 — 840 840 — 850 850 
			 Geography 20 780 810 20 770 800 10 840 850 
			 Art and design 10 630 630 10 720 720 — 810 810 
			 Music 20 450 470 20 440 460 10 500 510 
			 Religious education — 440 440 10 430 440 — 450 460 
			 Physical education 580 690 1,270 480 700 1,180 470 930 1,390 
			 Other(3) — 360 360 — 390 390 — 480 480 
			 (1) Includes those trained through SCITTs, but excludes completers through employment based routes.  (2) Technology includes Business Studies, Information and Communications Technology and Design and Technology.  (3) Other includes Citizenship, Citizenship and Business Studies, Citizenship and History, Social Studies, Classics and Ecc.   Note: "UG" equals Undergraduate, "PG" equals Postgraduate.   Source:  TDA Performance Profiles. 
		
	
	Table 3 provides the number of teachers teaching by subject in maintained secondary schools and the highest post A-level qualification held in the subject taught.
	
		
			  Table 3: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools—Highest post A-level qualification( 1)  held in the subjects they teach( 2)  to year groups 7-13, England 
			   Percentage  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other Qual.  No Qual.  Total teachers (Thousand) 
			 Mathematics 42 ± 3 15 ± 2 9 ± 2 7 ± 1 2 ± 1 24 ± 2 28.2 
			 English 51 ± 3 15 ± 2 7 ± 1 6 ± 1 1 ± 1 20 ± 2 29.4 
			 
			 Combined/General science 62 ± 3 12 ± 2 10 ± 2 4 ± 1 1 ± 1 11 ± 2 28.3 
			 Biology(4) 71 ± 5 7 ± 3 11 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± 1 7 ± 3 5.6 
			 Chemistry(4) 72 ± 5 6 ± 3 12 ± 4 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 7 ± 3 5.2 
			 Physics(4) 63 ± 6 11 ± 4 15 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± - 8 ± 3 4.7 
			 Other sciences(4) 10 ± 6 4 ± 4 5 ± 4 - ± - - ± - 80 ± 8 1.6 
			 
			 French 54 ± 3 7 ± 2 10 ± 2 3 ± 1 2 ± 1 23 ± 3 16.0 
			 German 47 ± 5 6 ± 3 13 ± 4 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 30 ± 5 6.9 
			 Spanish 37 ± 7 8 ± 4 19 ± 6 - ± - 3 ± 2 33 ± 7 3.6 
			 Other modern languages 18 ± 8 - ± - 9 ± 7 - ± - 3 ± 4 71 ±10 1.4 
			 
			 Design and technology(5) 26 ± 3 20 ± 3 7 ± 2 21 ± 3 2 ± 1 24 ± 3 20.9 
			 ICT(5, 6) 13 ± 2 6 ± 1 8 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 69 ± 3 18.9 
			 Other/Combined technology(5) 30 ± 10 13 ± 8 16 ± 7 18 ± 9 2 ± 3 20 ± 9 1.6 
			 
			 Business studies 30 ± 5 11 ± 4 9 ± 3 4 ± 2 3 ± 2 43 ± 5 6.5 
			 Classics 33 ± 7 - ± - 2 ± 4 2 ± - - ± - 63 ± 7 1.0 
			 History 57 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 6 ± 2 - ± - 23 ± 3 13.7 
			 Religious education 22 ± 3 8 ± 2 8 ± 2 4 ± 1 2 ± 1 57 ± 4 14.2 
			 Geography 53 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 5 ± 2 1 ± 1 25 ± 3 13.7 
			 Other social studies 35 ± 5 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 2 ± 1 - ± 1 54 ± 6 4.9 
			 Combined arts/humanities/ social studies 5 ± 3 4 ± 2 7 ± 3 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 83 ± 5 5.3 
			 
			 Music 59 ± 5 15 ± 4 5 ± 2 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 13 ± 4 6.3 
			 Drama 25 ± 4 10 ± 3 12 ± 3 6 ± 2 2 ± 1 45 ± 5 8.1 
			 Art and design 54 ± 4 10 ± 3 7 ± 2 9 ± 3 1 ± 1 20 ± 4 9.3 
			 Physical education 25 ± 3 31 ± 3 6 ± 2 13 ± 2 2 ± 1 22 ± 2 21.4 
			 Careers education 2 ± 2 1 ± 2 3 ± 3 4 ± 4 3 ± 4 87 ± 7 1.5 
			 PSHE(6) 1 ± - 1 ± - 2 ± 1 1 ± - - ± - 95 ± 1 61.4 
			 General studies 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 95 ± 2 7.1 
			 Citizenship 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 94 ± 2 9.0 
			 Other — — — — — — 32.8 
			 
			 Total(2, 7) 33 ± - 10 ±- 7 ± - 5 ± - 1 ± - 44 ± - 388.4 
			 '-' = zero or less than 0.5.(1) Where a teacher has more than one post A-level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree.(2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching.(3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.(4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science.(5) Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology.(6) Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE.(7) 'Other' not included in total percentages. Source:Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002.

Teachers

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) vacancies and  (b) temporary replacements there are for head teachers in (i) rural and (ii) non-rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The following table provides the number of full-time head teacher vacancies and temporarily filled vacancies in January 2006 (provisional), the latest information available.
	
		
			  Full-time head teacher vacancies and full-time temporarily filled head teacher posts in local authority maintained schools in England, January 2006( 1) 
			   All maintained schools  Maintained secondary schools 
			 Full-time head teacher vacancies 180 30 
			 Full-time temporarily filled head teacher posts(2) 660 80 
			 (1 )Provisional.  (2 )Temporarily-filled full-time permanent appointments. The definition used is wider than the vacancy definition (bullet points b and c below are in addition to the normal vacancy definition). A post is included in this row of the table: a. where there is no incumbent who is expected to return to the post; b. whether or not filled on a temporary basis, i.e. either without a contract or on a contract of less than one year; c. whether or not advertised; d. where an appointment has been made by not yet taken up.   Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.   Source:  Survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies, (618g).

Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force

Dawn Butler: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what progress has been made with the work of the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force.

Jim Murphy: I have been asked to reply.
	The Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force (EMETF) has met regularly since its inception in 2003. Details of its work to fulfil the recommendations of the Strategy Unit's report, "Ethnic Minorities and the Labour Market" (March 2003), have been presented annually to the Economic Affairs, Productivity and Competitiveness (EAPC) by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and are available at www.emetaskforce.gov.uk and copies have been placed in the Library.
	In 2005, the Task Force was also given responsibility for taking forward the main conclusions of the National Employment Panel's report: "Enterprising People:
	Enterprising Places" (May 2005). Current priorities include work on the City Strategy; developing an outreach service to focus on non-working ethnic minority partners in low income households; expand the data and research evidence base; and developing the opportunities presented by the Olympics to raise ethnic minority employment.
	The third EMETF annual report will be published later this year and will include the findings of the independent review to be undertaken in the Autumn. The EMETF is supported and advised by the Ethnic Minority Advisory Group (EMAG) which has a membership comprising members of the ethnic minority voluntary, business and training sectors, faith groups, academics and its chair sits on the EMETF.

Theatre Funding

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the Arts Council England allocation to subsidised theatre in each year from 1997 to 2005 was paid to  (a) actors,  (b) musicians and  (c) writers.

David Lammy: Arts Council England does not analyse expenditure by subsidised theatre organisations in the detail requested.
	However, Arts Council England's 2004-05 annual survey of regularly funded organisations provides information about income and expenditure on artistic programme costs and staff.(1)
	In 2004-05, £152.7 million was spent on artistic programme costs, including £67.5 million (44 per cent.) on artistic staff including actors, musicians and writers.
	During this period, theatre organisations employed 805 permanent artistic staff and 7,825 freelance/contractual staff.
	(1 )In 2004-05, valid survey returns were received from 216 theatre organisations, representing approximately 80 per cent. of Arts Council England's full theatre portfolio. Data from the 2004-05 survey is currently unpublished.

Extradition Treaty

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Vauxhall (Kate Hoey), of 28 June 2006,  Official Report, column 435W, on the Extradition Treaty, if she will place a copy of the reply in the Library.

Kim Howells: The US Secretary of State has not replied formally to my right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary's (Mr. Straw's) letter of 20 April.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many disputed tax credit overpayment requests have been received in each quarter since April 2004; how many requests have been upheld; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many overpayments of tax credits have been written off due to acceptance by his Department of official error since April 2003; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many tax credit claimants have  (a) returned form TC 846 and  (b) otherwise been recorded as requesting the write-off of their overpayments on grounds of official error for each month since April 2003; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what his latest estimate is of the proportion of tax credit overpayments due to official error in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  how many people have appealed against tax credits overpayments recovery in each month since April 2003; how many appeals have been successful; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what proportion of tax credits overpayments have been written off for  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06.

Dawn Primarolo: For the number of disputed tax credit overpayments the Tax Credit Office (TCO) received, and the number written off between May 2004 (when the Department began recording disputes received) and January 2006, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Birkenhead on 1 March 2006,  Official Report, column 727W and the answers I gave him on 19 January 2006,  Official Report, columns 1496-97W and 6 July 2005,  Official Report, column 437W.
	The TCO received around 39,000 disputed overpayments in February 2006, around 33,000 in March 2006 and around 26,500 in April 2006.
	The number of overpayments where the overpayment was successfully disputed, that is, where the overpayment was written off in full or in part by the TCO because of official error, was around 2,000 in February 2006, around 1,500 in March 2006 and around 100 in April 2006.
	The figures for overpayments written off do not directly relate to those disputes that were received in the same month.
	The figures for May 2006 are not yet available.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many tax credit awards were made to  (a) people subject to immigration control,  (b) asylum seekers,  (c) foreign students,  (d) illegal immigrants and  (e) foreigners on expired visas in each quarter from April 2003 to June 2006; what the cost of these awards was in each case; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of the easement of tax credit verification rule 12 Residency Criteria not met between March 2003 and December 2004; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many tax credit applications failed verification rule 12 Residency Criteria not met but were allowed to proceed to being processed in each month from April 2003 to January 2005; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  in how many tax credit cases failures of verification rule 12 Residency Criteria not met were  (a) investigated and  (b) not investigated in each month since December 2004;
	(5)  which categories of tax credit claimant fail verification rule 12 Residency Criteria not met; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  how many applications for tax credits failed verification rule 12 Residency Criteria not met between April 2002 and April 2003; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  how many tax credit claims failed verification rules in each  (a) month and  (b) quarter since April 2002; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  which  (a) Minister and  (b) official (i) recommended and (ii) approved the easement of tax credit verification rule 12 Residency Criteria not met in 2003; for what reasons it was introduced; and if he will make a statement;
	(9)  if he will place in the Library copies of each HM Customs and Revenue newsboard item relating to tax credits; and on what date each was posted;
	(10)  how many tax credit verification rules have been  (a) suspended and  (b) eased since August 2002; and for what (i) reasons and (ii) period in each case;
	(11)  whether the easement of tax credit verification rule 12 (residency criteria not met) meant that the provisions in the Tax Credit (Immigration) Regulations 2003 were not implemented; and if he will make a statement;
	(12)  what factors were taken into account when deciding not to investigate cases where tax credit verification rule 12 Residency Criteria not met was failed;
	(13)  whether an assessment of the  (a) cost and  (b) staffing levels required to meet the volumes of claims failing verification rule 12 Residency Criteria not met was made prior to the decision to ease the rule from April 2003 to December 2004; and if he will make a statement;
	(14)  how many awards of tax credits to people failing residency rules between April 2003 and December 2004 have been  (a) recovered and  (b) written off;
	(15)  what advice he received on the easement of tax credit residency rules; and on what dates the advice was given.

Dawn Primarolo: Tax credits follows the policy set by the Home Office, that those who have not established their right to remain permanently in the UK should not have welfare provision on the same basis as those whose citizenship or status here gives them an entitlement to benefits and assistance when in need.
	For this reason, apart from specified circumstances set out in the Tax Credits (Immigration) Regulations 2003, persons subject to immigration control are not eligible for tax credits.
	The cost of the easement is included within tax credit remissions disclosed in HMRC's published accounts. Where the department has identified payments made in error, it has terminated the award so there will be no further payments.
	Code of practice 26 sets out HMRC's established practice not to recover amounts paid out due to official error where the claimant could reasonably have assumed the payment was correct.
	The remaining information requested could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Child Support Agency

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what bonuses relating to performance were paid to staff managing the EDS contract at the Child Support Agency in each of the last four years for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Hilary Reynolds, dated 18 July 2006:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is out of the country, I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what bonuses relating to performance were paid to staff managing the EDS contract at the Child Support Agency in each of the last four years for which figures are available.
	All people employed by the Department for Work and Pensions may qualify for performance related pay. The performance related pay arrangements operate on a sliding scale with over 90% of employees receiving a payment at the end of the performance year.
	In addition, the Department operates a "Special Bonus" scheme, which rewards employees for exceptional achievements outside the requirements of their key work objectives.
	The table below shows special bonus payments paid to people involved in managing the EDS contract. However, managing the EDS contract forms only part of their roles and responsibilities.
	These payments arose from when the new child support computer system went live in March 2003.
	
		
			  Financial year  Amount of payment (£) 
			 2003-04 1,600.00 
			 2004-05 0 
			 2005-06 500.00 
		
	
	I hope you find this response helpful.

Child Support Agency

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Child Support Agency cases have been dealt with as clerical cases due to administrative errors on the part of his Department since January 2005.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 18 July 2006:
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Support Agency cases have been dealt with as clerical cases due to administrative errors on the part of his Department since January 2005.
	Cases are taken off the new computer system (CS2) and progressed clerically if a technical fault occurs and the case cannot be progressed on the system.
	If an administrative error is found to have occurred, then Agency staff will look to resolve that error while the case is still being operated on CS2. The case would only be progressed clerically if a technical fault subsequently occurred.
	The total volume of cases being clerically progressed in each month from March 2005 to March 2006 is available in table 19 of the latest edition of the Agency's Quarterly Summary of Statistics (QSS), a copy of which is available in the House library, as well as on the internet at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/csa.asp.
	For convenience, these figures are attached.
	I recognise that the figures given here differ from those given in response to PQ 21451. This is due to improvements in management information which now allows us to provide a more accurate picture of the Agency's clerical caseload.
	I hope you find this helpful.
	
		
			  Volume of cases being progressed clerically in each month from the CS2 system 
			   Number of new system clerical cases 
			  2005  
			 March 10,000 
			 April 11,000 
			 May 12,000 
			 June 13,000 
			 July 13,000 
			 August 14,000 
			 September 14,000 
			 October 15,000 
			 November 16,000 
			 December 16,000 
			  2006  
			 January 17,000 
			 February 17,000 
			 March 19,000 
			 Notes:1. The above figures show the number of new and old scheme cases from CS2 that were being processed clerically, in the main due to technical IT problems that prevented them from being progressed on the CS2 system itself.2. Note that the figures for later months are provisional, and may be subject to minor retrospective revisions.3. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.4. Due to limitations in management information, we are unable to include the number of cases that are being progressed clerically off the old system (CSCS).

Antisocial Behaviour

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders were found guilty of  (a) drunken and disorderly behaviour and  (b) drunken and aggravated disorderly behaviour in (i) England, (ii) Peterborough constituency and (iii) the Peterborough city council area in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on the number of offenders found guilty for drunkenness with aggravation (which includes drunk and disorderly) in England, and Peterborough Local Justice Area, 1997—2004 are given in the following table. It is not possible to identify those convicted in Peterborough constituency, or Peterborough city council, as the data are not collected at this level of detail. Court statistics for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.
	In addition to this, the penalty notice for disorder scheme was brought into effect in all police forces in England and Wales during 2004. Under the scheme the police are able to issue persons committing specified minor offences with a fixed penalty notice. No admission of guilt is required and payment of the penalty discharges all liability for the offence. In 2004 25,591 penalty notices were issued in England for the offence of being drunk and disorderly. Provisional data for 2005 shows that 34,238 penalty notices were issued in England for this offence. It is not possible to identify the number of penalty notices issued in Peterborough as centrally held data is not collected at that level of detail.
	
		
			  Number of offenders found guilty at all courts for offences relating to drunkenness in England 1997 to 2004( 1,2) 
			   Drunkenness with aggravation( 4) 
			 1997 22,474 
			 1998 23,864 
			 1999 22,764 
			 2000(3) 22,078 
			 2001 21,468 
			 2002 22,741 
			 2003 23,893 
			 2004 17,550 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, police forces and other agencies. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
			 (3 )Staffordshire police force were only able to supply a sample of data for magistrates courts proceedings covering one full week in each quarter for 2000. Estimates based on this sample are included in the figures, as they are considered sufficiently robust at this high level of analysis.(4 )Includes the offence of "drunk and disorderly" [Criminal Justice Act 1967 s4c.91] and other miscellaneous offences of drunkenness with aggravations. Source:Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Asylum/Immigration

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the use of luncheon vouchers for the purposes of support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; how many such vouchers were issued to residents of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne in each of the last four quarters of 2005-06; and what the total value was of the vouchers so issued.

Liam Byrne: Where support under section 4 is provided in self catering accommodation vouchers to the value of £35 per week are issued to purchase food and essential toiletries. The type of voucher issued is not a matter of policy. The vouchers issued by accommodation providers are primarily luncheon vouchers, supermarket payment cards and supermarket vouchers.
	Information on the number and types of voucher issued is not recorded centrally.

Asylum/Immigration

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 282W, on asylum/immigration, what definition his Department uses of a particularly serious crime.

Liam Byrne: Article 33(2) of the Refugee Convention allows an asylum seeker or recognised refugee to be removed even if they have a well founded fear of persecution where they represent a threat to national security, or where, having been convicted of a particularly serious crime, they constitute a danger to the community.
	Section 72 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 provides an interpretation of Article 33(2) of the 1951 Convention and defines the term 'particularly serious crime' for the purposes of Article 33(2) as one for which the person concerned has received a sentence of imprisonment of at least two years, or has been convicted of an offence specified by order of the Secretary of State, whatever the length of sentence imposed. An automatic presumption is made, which is rebuttable, that such a person poses a danger to the community.

Departmental Staff

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals work for his Department in the UK.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office, which includes Immigration and Nationality Directorate and the Prison Service but not its other Agencies, is currently employing one foreign national under the terms of the 1955 Alien's Employment Act.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2006,  Official Report, column 732-34W, on departmental staff, how many staff in his Department have had two or more periods of sick leave of less than five days in two or more of the years for which he has provided figures.

Liam Byrne: I am advised that the number of staff in his Department that have had two or more periods of sick leave of less than five days in two or more years are show in the following table.
	
		
			  Staff who have taken two or more periods of sick leave of less than five days in the last three years 
			   Number of staff 
			  Home Office (including Immigration and Nationality Directorate)( 1)  
			 2002-03 5,515 
			 2003-04 7,180 
			 2005-06 6,113 
			   
			  Identity and Passport Service( 2)  
			 2003-04 1,438 
			 2004-05 1,389 
			 2005-06 1,463 
			   
			  HM Prison Service( 3)  
			 2003-04 10,756 
			 2004-05 9,950 
			 2005-06 9,438 
			 (1) Data is provided on the basis of staff having on average* two or more days per spell of sickness. The figures for 2003-03 and 2003-04 are based on calendar days, those for 2005-06 on working days.(2) IPS figures show periods of less than five working days.(3) HMPS figures show periods of less than five calendar days.* 'On average' indicates a spell which includes staff who had a mean average of two days sick and not just two or more days in (each and every) spell of sickness in the period provided. Note:Because the material needed to be provided from archived reports run across the periods concerned on a particular basis (that of average values across the period) it was not possible to answer the question in the more precise form without disproportionate cost, in the time scale available.

EU Legislation

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what EU legislation the UK has opted  (a) out of and  (b) into in the areas of (i) asylum, (ii) legal migration, (iii) visa and border controls and (iv) civil law under the rules governing Title IV of the Treaty establishing the European Community.

Liam Byrne: For legislation opted into in the areas of asylum and immigration I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Des Browne) gave to the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory), on 7 March, 2005,  Official Report, column 1596W, and to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, South (Mr. Alexander) gave to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) on 1 December 2005,  Official Report, column 737W.
	Since 1 December 2005 the UK has opted into the following two measures in asylum; A recommendation for a council decision authorising the Commission to negotiate a readmission agreement between the European Community and Russia and A proposal by the Council establishing a Mutual Information Procedure. The UK has not opted into the following proposals in the area of Civil Law, Proposal for a Council Regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and cooperation in matters relating to maintenance obligations and a Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Regulation on the law applicable to contractual obligations.
	There has been no legislation to decide to opt into since 1 December 2005 in legal immigration or visa and border controls.

Foreign Criminals

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many foreign national offenders there were in UK prisons in each year since 1997; and what percentage this represents of the total prison population;
	(2)  how many offenders whose nationality is unknown are in UK prisons; and how many offenders whose nationality was unknown there were in  (a) 2001,  (b) 2002,  (c) 2003,  (d) 2004 and  (e) 2005;
	(3)  how many foreign national offenders there are in UK prisons; what their country of origin is; and for what offences they are imprisoned.

John Reid: Information on the population in prison establishments by nationality is published in annual and quarterly Home Office statistical publications. The figures have been drawn from the prisons administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.
	Information on the number of foreign nationals and those with nationality not recorded, for the years 2001 to 2005, held in prison establishments in England and Wales is given in table 8.4 and 8.4a of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004.
	Information on the nationality of foreign nationals held in prison establishments in England and Wales is given in table 2.14 of Offender Management Caseload Statistics Quarterly Brief October to December 2005.
	The number of sentenced foreign nationals in prison establishments in England and Wales for each offence group is given in table 8.29 of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004.
	Information from these tables is given as follows.
	Information on Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my colleagues in the Scottish Executive and Northern Ireland Office.
	
		
			  Population in prison establishments( 1)  by nationality, England and Wales as at 30 June each year 
			  Number of persons 
			   2001  2002  2003( 2)  2004  2005( 3)  2006( 4) 
			  Males and females   
			 All nationalities 66,403 71,218 72,286 74,488 76,190 77,677 
			
			 British nationals 58,732 62,553 62,417 64,379 65,670 65,907 
			
			 Foreign nationals 6,926 7,719 8,728 8,941 9,651 10,834 
			 Percentage of total population 10 11 12 12 13 14 
			
			 Unrecorded nationality(5) 745 946 1,142 1,168 869 936 
			 (1) Excludes police cells. Includes Immigration Removal Centres at Dover, Haslar and Lindholme managed by the Prison Service on behalf of IND. Includes remand, sentenced and non criminals.(2) As at 28 February 2003.(3) Further quality assurance of the population data was undertaken in 2005 resulting in revised figures from June 2005 onwards. This has affected the statistics on nationality. The number with unrecorded nationality has decreased by 400, the number of British nationals has increased by 300 and the number of foreign nationals has increased by 100 from previously published figures.(4) As at 31 May 2006.(5) 0.3 per cent. of the immediate custodial sentenced population has an unrecorded nationality. Sources:The figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and so is not necessarily accurate to the last whole number as shown here.

HM Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of senior operational managers in HM Prison Service in each area achieved an exceed rating on their staff performance and development record in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows information from the Corporate Database on the proportion of performance levels recorded as "exceeded" for one senior operational managers in each year from 2001-02 to 2004-05. Comprehensive information on performance levels for 2005-06 is not yet available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Performance levels recorded for senior operational managers 
			  Percentage 
			  Area  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03  2001-02 
			 High Security Prisons 61 71 79 78 
			 East Midlands 75 61 65 56 
			 Eastern 47 14 33 58 
			 Kent 36 45 56 47 
			 London 86 58 50 67 
			 North East 91 50 44 38 
			 North West 77 44 57 70 
			 South West 64 57 87 72 
			 Surrey and Sussex 40 43 63 50 
			 Thames Valley and Hampshire 64 77 52 50 
			 Wales 67 80 50 57 
			 West Midlands 36 63 56 71 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 86 77 83 78 
			 HQ 54 52 56 43 
			 Total 60 56 59 56 
			  Note:Senior operational managers are senior manager grades A to D. Percentages are calculated as proportion of all recorded SPDR markings for those grades. Where no marking is recorded the data are omitted.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will lead the inquiry into the allegations made in  The Observer on 21 May regarding malpractice in the immigration and nationality directorate; when the inquiry will report; if the report will be published; what the terms of reference are; from whom the inquiry will take evidence; and if he will make a statement.

John Reid: An internal disciplinary investigation has taken place, as a result of which a member of IND staff has been dismissed. A criminal investigation continues.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what disciplinary action he has taken against officials in the immigration and nationality directorate following Mr. Gbedemah's report.

John Reid: I am advised that 13 separate disciplinary investigations were commissioned following Mr. Gbedemah's report. Disciplinary action has been completed in respect of seven members of staff and is ongoing in respect of the remaining six.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what point he expects the deficit identified by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate which occurred in processing chargeable applications for leave to remain during 2003-04 and 2004-05 to have been recovered as a result of increases to leave to remain fees from 1 April 2005.

John Reid: Deficits identified by the immigration and nationality directorate are being recovered through the fee for leave to remain in 2005-06. The accounts for the financial year 2005-06 are still being finalised and are yet to be audited by the National Audit Office. Until these accounts have been finalised I am unable to state whether the deficits referred to have been recovered.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent guidance he has issued to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's Security and Anti-Corruption Unit on developing a more pro-active strategy for combating fraud and corruption.

John Reid: One of the recommendations in Tim Gbedemah's report on the investigation into the Public Enquiry Office (PEO) in Croydon was that the IND should consider giving it's Security and Anti Corruption Unit (SACU) sole responsibility for investigating allegations of corruption across the whole of IND and tasking the unit with developing a more proactive strategy for combating fraud and corruption. Ministers accepted all of the recommendations in the report.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's Security and Anti-Corruption Unit is responsible for investigating allegations of corruption across the whole of the IND; and when it was given this role.

John Reid: IND's security and anti-corruption unit was given sole responsibility for investigating allegations of corruption made against all IND staff on 1 April 2006.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees from an ethnic minority the Immigration and Nationality Directorate has, broken down by category of staff.

John Reid: The information requested is presented in the following table. The collection of diversity data is intended to enable IND to monitor the effectiveness of its HR policies and processes. The provision of such data by employees is voluntary and information is held currently for just under 60 per cent. of our staff. Specific activities are under way to increase this figure to help ensure robust monitoring.
	
		
			  Ethnic minority staff employed in IND by grade—number  and percentage 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 SCS 0 0 
			 G6/G7 27 8.08 
			 SEO 69 15.40 
			 HEO 234 22.12 
			 EO 624 33.58 
			 HMI 16 10.74 
			 CIO 68 12.78 
			 IO 453 23.72 
			 AO 717 36.60 
			 AIO 147 41.18 
			 AA 278 39.15 
			 Other 96 33.90 
		
	
	
		
			  Total ethnic minority staff employed in IND—number  and percentage 
			 Total number of ethnic minority staff 2,729 
			 Total as percentage of IND staff 28.25 
			  Notes:1. The figures are based on a 59.79 per cent. data set. We are taking active steps to improve this data; one Directorate specific manual exercise has been undertaken recently, these data returns will be reflected in the June 2006 figures and a small self-service electronic pilot exercise will be completed by September 2006 for inclusion in that quarter's figures.2. The category "other" includes research officers and librarians.

Juvenile Custody

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of staff were employed in the  (a) private and  (b) public sector in the care of vulnerable and at risk children and young adults in custody in each of the last 20 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

National Asylum Support Service

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens from each of the countries which joined the EU in May 2005 are being supported by the National Asylum Support Service.

John Reid: I am advised that information available is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Number of asylum seekers (including dependants) supported by NASS from countries that joined the EU in May 2004 as at the end of March 2006 
			  Nationality  Subsistence only  In dispersed accommodation  Total 
			 Cyprus — — — 
			 Estonia — — — 
			 Hungary — — — 
			 Latvia * — * 
			 Lithuania — 5 5 
			 Malta — — — 
			 Poland 5 — 5 
			 Slovakia — — — 
			 Slovenia — — — 
			 Czech Republic — 10 10 
			 Total 10 10 20 
			 '*'= 1 or 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 and may not sum due to rounding. 
		
	
	NASS provides this support only to EU nationals who are, or have been, asylum seekers, whose claim is either outstanding or their circumstances are such that they are at present neither able to work nor to return home.

Prisons

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who have been released on licence from each prison on the Isle of Wight are no longer in touch with the authorities monitoring their whereabouts.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 4 May 2006
	The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.
	All offenders released on licence are subject to six standard licence conditions: three of which require them to 'keep in touch' with your supervising officer', 'permanently to reside at an address approved by your supervising officer' and 'notify him or her in advance of any proposed change of address or proposed stay (even for one night) away from that approved address'. In the event that any such licence conditions are breached, the offender is liable to be recalled to prison upon the recommendation of the probation officer in order to protect the public. Once the licence is revoked and the offender recalled, the police are notified, in order to ensure a swift return to custody.

Prisons

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign prisoners are detained in open prisons.

John Reid: Towards the end of May 2006 there were around 300 prisoners in open prisons in England and Wales with a foreign nationality. The figures have been drawn from the prisons administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.
	Foreign nationals are subject to the same risk assessment process as any other prisoner before allocation to open conditions. The overriding purpose of the security classification must be to ensure that prisoners are retained in custody with a level of security that is consistent with the need to protect the public. Following a review of the criteria for the categorisation of foreign national prisoners and their allocation to open conditions in May 2006, the Prison Service concluded that no changes were required of the policy. However, Governors have been instructed to take into account the impact of recent public statements regarding the likelihood of deportation on the risk of absconding when considering foreign national prisoners for Category D status and allocation to open conditions.
	All life sentenced foreign nationals and those sentenced for serious offences were returned from open conditions to closed during May and have been subject to an individual risk assessment in consultation with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate before a final decision as to whether or not they are suitable to return to open conditions.

Prisons

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Answer of 8 June 2006,  Official Report, column 819W, on prisons, what category of offences had been committed by each of the non-foreign national prisoners who absconded from Ford prison in 2006; what the term of the prison sentence was in each case; on what date each escaped; and whether the prisoner remains at large in each case.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 15 June 2006
	The detailed information requested may be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. However, I can advise that, as at 18 July, only two of the non-foreign national prisoners who absconded from Ford open prison in 2006 remain unlawfully at large.

Road Accidents (Mobile Telephones)

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) deaths,  (b) serious incidents and  (c) other accidents have been caused by persons driving while using hand-held mobile telephones since 1 December 2003, broken down by police force area.

Stephen Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
	The information available relates to factors that are judged by the police as having contributed to a road accident in which someone as injured. The table shows the number of personal injury road accidents reported to the police in 2005 that have "Driver using mobile phone" assigned as a contributory factor, broken down by severity, as well as the resulting fatalities. This information is not available for earlier years.
	
		
			  Fatalities in, and the number of, accidents where "Driver using a mobile phone" was reported as a contributory factor: 2005 
			   Fatalities  Fatal accidents  Serious accidents  Slight accidents 
			 Metropolitan police 0 0 6 47 
			 Cumbria 2 2 2 3 
			 Lancashire 1 1 1 8 
			 Merseyside 1 1 1 10 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 1 18 
			 Cheshire 0 0 1 6 
			 Northumbria 0 0 1 4 
			 Durham 0 0 0 5 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 2 4 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 4 5 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 2 3 
			 Humberside 0 0 1 8 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 2 
			 West Midlands 0 0 1 21 
			 Staffordshire 1 1 4 11 
			 West Mercia 1 1 3 8 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 1 9 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 4 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 1 6 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 4 
			 Leicestershire 1 1 0 10 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 1 4 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 9 
			 Norfolk 0 0 2 4 
			 Suffolk 0 0 1 2 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 4 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 0 7 
			 Essex 0 0 3 11 
			 Thames Valley 2 2 1 26 
			 Hampshire 0 0 1 18 
			 Surrey 0 0 1 6 
			 Kent 0 0 2 13 
			 Sussex 1 1 3 13 
			 City of London 0 0 0 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1 1 0 10 
			 Avon and Somerset 1 1 0 6 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 5 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 0 4 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 1 3 
			 Gwent 0 0 1 2 
			 South Wales 0 0 0 5 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 4 
			 Northern 1 1 0 0 
			 Grampian 0 0 0 0 
			 Tayside 0 0 0 2 
			 Fife 0 0 1 0 
			 Lothian and Borders 0 0 0 0 
			 Central 0 0 0 0 
			 Strathclyde 0 0 2 9 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 13 13 52 364

Staff Discipline

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in his Department  (a) have been suspended,  (b) have been dismissed and  (c) have had their responsibilities significantly changed in each of the last three months.

John Reid: The data available in respect of  (a) and  (b) is set out in the following table. Date for  (c) could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  2006  Suspended  Dismissed 
			 April 4 7 
			 May 8 12 
			 June 2 3 
		
	
	Figures are as of 14 June 2006 and include staff in the central Home Office and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.
	The figures for HMPS could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

Superannuation Liability

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what total amount of employers' normal contributions accruing superannuation liability charge has been accounted for by his Department in each of the last five years for which data are available.

Liam Byrne: The amount of employers' accruing superannuation liability charges (ASLC) in respect of members of the Principle Civil Service Pension Scheme is detailed as follows, for the last four years. The figures represent the total ASLC paid by the Home Office, its agencies, non-departmental public bodies and all other public bodies on the Home Office payroll.
	The Home Office changed its payroll system during the 2001-02 financial year. To collate ASLC figures for this year would require more manual checking and verification using paper records from the previous payroll system. The information for this year could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 236,044,265.37 
			 2004-05 236,043,234.83 
			 2003-04 226,228,555.12 
			 2002-03 205,645,836.05 
			  Note:From 1 October 2002 new entrants have been able to opt for a partnership pension account, a stakeholder arrangement with an employer contribution element. Employers' contributions to partnership pension accounts are not included in the above figures.

Worker Registration Scheme

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many workers from EU accession countries have  (a) applied and  (b) been accepted under the Worker's Registration Scheme since 1 May 2004.

Liam Byrne: The latest published Accession Monitoring Report covers the period May 2004 to March 2006 and sets out the number of citizens from the ED Accession countries (A8 nationals) who have applied to register with the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) during this period. This report is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/accession_monitoring_report

World Cup Tickets

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been in relation to the touting of tickets to England World Cup 2006 matches  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) via internet sites based in England and Wales; how many of these have resulted in convictions; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not available centrally. Arrest data for ticket-touting offences during 2005-06 football season is currently being collated and will be published later this year. Measures within the Violent Crime Reduction Bill will extend coverage of ticket touting offences to the internet when the unauthorised sale of tickets for a regulated football match takes place within England or Wales.